


The Opening

by ixulu



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Inspired By Undertale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 08:36:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15991601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ixulu/pseuds/ixulu
Summary: A weird set of coincidences bring the now adult "fallen children" together to find out the mystery contained within the pages of an ancient tome.





	The Opening

The Opening

 

A dark, oily and melancholic aura lingered around the opening in the side of the earth. Like some sort of warning that fools need not apply, only the most tenacious of roots even approached near the cavern.

Not far from a field of corn deep in the northern mountains a figure in a utility suit made its way carefully into a dark crack like cave opening. 

Looking almost like it was made for a Shire setting, the cave entrance was tall enough for an adult to stand up and wide as two adults side by side the floor sloped ever so gently downward with its bed of lightly packed earth. 

Bright xenon light filled the cave as a hand lantern was soon turned on by the weather worn hand of the person that entered. A person dressed in a blue set of overalls, the fabric well used but still intact made a swish sound as the form pressed further slowly descending into the Earth.

 

Chris lets their mind wander back to the only time they had been in this cave, so many decades ago when they were but a child still in grade school.  
Lantern light played across damp rock and the occasional patch of moss, as a darkly bearded man led two children into the ground after several minutes the three spelunkers finally found the end of the hobbit like cave.

" Dude! you see that hole?" 

The smaller of the two children asked to the leader. 

"yes I do and you know what ?" 

asks the adult pointing toward a small pile of pipes and chain. 

"we are going to go down into it" 

Smirking what could be termed an evil grin the leader moves over to the chain ladder laying on the ground and proceeds to secure it to the stone around the hole entrance a black pit about exactly a childs size across.

After locking the ladder into a secure position, a climbing rope is rigged in a rappeling setup to ensure safety. Soon after this task is completed, and the leader tells the larger of the two children to start climbing down the ladder, followed by the other kid as soon as the ladder is clear.

While the two first explorers examine the enormous chamber they've climbed down to zooming their lanterns to and fro trying vainly to catch the chambers vastness the last member of the group makes their way down the five story climb carefully setting himself on the muddy floor. 

The trio take a while to examine the chamber they have found themselves in, a vaguely bell shaped room with a pair of passages leading off one over a large boulder at the back of the cave the other to the left and under the same massive rock.

For quite a while, the trio examines every aspect of the tunnels and crawlspaces that lead ever deeper into the earth.  
From small stalactites to odd finlike growths made of mineral.

Doubtless the denizens of the caves had never seen such a thing as crickets and spiders of all size had to move or be crushed. Never even noticed by the massive invaders into their home.

A handfull of hours squelching through muddy passages and squeezing through small openings later the trio find themselves looking at a small lake deep in the earth the water so clear the bottom is deceptively close the leader of the group spots a raft tucked up in the rocks above the water and hands his lantern to the larger of the two kids asking them to use it to light their attempt to retrieve the raft.

Several tense minutes pass as the man shimmies and crawls his way over the wallface towards the rubber boat. Just as he gets his hand onto the inflated raft he slips, sending him down into the crystal clear water below the raft fluttering almost mockingly after.

More than a few seconds pass as the Spelunking guide makes his way to the surface proving their suspicion that the lake was indeed much deeper than it appeared.  
The two children finally catch sight of a soaked hand breaking the water and between them manage to pull the man out of the icey cold depths. 

The dunk into the chill depths rightfully signals the end of this round of subterranean adventure. Quickly the three make their way back towards the main chamber. 

Gathering the equipment and attaching themselves one by one the guide heads up the aluminum ladder through the chimney that leads to the entry cave. The rest of the ascent goes normally until the ladder breaks while the smallest kid is in the chimney. Sending the terrified child screaming 10 feet down before the climb rope reaches full stretch.

 

Memory recedes into the present as the lone figure shakes off the past rememberances of hushed comments about savage dragons and demons that the two children were sure they could feel in the depths and the climb out with it's terrifying broken chain ladder. 

Focusing on the dark hole in the floor of the outer cave the figure brings a strangely oversized book from a satchel worn over their shoulder. Chris considers for several long moments the nature of the job at hand.

Over a year has past since the dictionary sized artifact was mailed to Chris's home without any clue as to a sender. At first for a couple weeks the book laid in repose on a desk in the main room, until the woman with the deep blue eyes showed up and made herself at home.

Over the next month coincidences brought the small group to a total of eight, Frank being the last to wander in. The stories contained within and a strange need to solve this mystery being the motivation that lead to a trip across the country deep into the northern forests.

Caressing the book absentmindedly the figure considers the path the tome has travelled to make it's way to them before opening the sturdy cover.

Quiet almost whispered words echo around the chamber as the book opens a faint light issuing forth from it's pages allowing the reader to see the words written within. A quiet well worn voice breaks the serenity as the figure reads from the pages.  
Quickly the words that are not words grow in substance if not volume as a charge permeates the small room.

Silence itself refuses to return even after the words stop being spoken, a tremor of audible energy flexes it's way through the deep, deeper, even deeper before being answered by a another sound, a crystal shattering sound of a trillion windows blasts back from the dark abyss below.  
Holding a baited breath they wait for any follow up sounds from deep below...

Closing the book the figure straightens their back in an attempt to work long settled muscles into a shape better suited for the task ahead. Turning back the way they came and shaking their head sadly, what would have been the first fallen human in the underground makes their way back to the surface wondering what it was they were supposed to find here.

As they emerge from the depths, seven other men and women approach the now exhausted and grimey figure with curious faces and refreshmments in hand for them.

"Soo?" The word hangs in the air.

A man dressed in a leather jacket and corduroys steps forward and brings his left hand to his chin as to smooth a beard that's not there.

"what happened chris? anything? didja get there?" 

The muddy figure lets an audible groan as they stand up straight and let their back slip into a more comfortable position. A small sigh escapes their lips. 

"didja hear the glass breaking?" 

A small sea of nods comes in reply. 

Chris looks at the small group assembled in the late afternoon light. A motley looking collection if there ever was one.

"Look Frank, I have no idea... What the hell happened down there." 

A deep steadying breath is taken.

"But when the last words were spoken, there was a wierd kind of.... pulling in my chest and then a salient hum started."

"You heard the glass sound, I dunno your guess is as good as mine. But i'd say the book was right on the money and we just broke some kind of ward open or something."

 

Much speculation and questions were raised over the next several hours as the group made their way back to Chris's homestead.  
The group of newfound friend's never found out what the ancient book really was however they all lived long and well in their shared company.

 

Hours later, many miles away on the other side of the mountain. An opening hidden from view from centuries of talus, scree and overgrowth, becomes the sole witness to odd shadows that escape into the nearby old growth forest.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes: In honor of the Third Anniversary of Undertale and also nicely timing with my own one year since I fell in I decided to try and make a story using the write what you know method. Just happens that i have done both rope work and spelunking as a youth so i tapped into that.  
> The name started out as a descriptor for my idea and wound up working so I left it. 
> 
> Thank You to all the fans that inspired this and sucked me in.
> 
> Thank You to the author's on Discord and those not yet for the playground to run around in.
> 
> And last but not at all least Thank You to Toby Fox for the dream you had.


End file.
